Kukla's Korner Hockey

From a hockey fan’s perspective there is nothing not to love about HBO’s award-winning “24/7″ series, which peels back the curtains and offers a fascinating window inside NHL dressing rooms. But at least one former participant wasn’t very fond of his experience with all-access cameras. What stands out for Washington Capitals centre Brooks Laich three years after taking part in the inaugural series was how disruptive it was for the team. He is also troubled by the fact that players aren’t paid for putting up with the headache. “I think it would go a long way, especially for your bigger guys,” Laich says. “For (Alex) Ovechkin, for (Nicklas) Backstrom it was a lot of work. Every day they want to talk to those guys. Every day. They don’t want to miss how you’re feeling: ‘Maybe this guy is grumpy today and we need that footage.’ They always err on the side of having everything and then they cut it down. It really is taxing.”